Apparatus for treating organic material



J. R. BREUCHAUD 2,126,168 APPATUS FOR TREATING ORGANIC MATERIAL Filed May 10, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug, 9, 1938.

I ug. 9, 1938. J. R. BREUCHAUD APPARATUS FOR TREATING ORGANIC MATERIAL Filed May 1o, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 www .ww www.

INVENTOR. Jules euchaud 5@ ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 9, 1938 APPARATUS FOR TREATING ORGANIC MATERIAL Jules R. Breuchaud,

York Application May 10,

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to a means for converting into humus or the like, suitable for use as a fertilizer, waste organic matter such as garbage, sewage sludge, sewage screenings or combination thereof.

The main object of the invention relates to the provision of improved means for converting waste organic matter into a suitable product such as humus. An important feature relates to the use of artificial heat Vto facilitate fermentation during the early stages thereof and to Vhelp maintain it. Another feature relates to improvements in drainage of the material in connection with the fermentation thereof. A further feature relates to provisions for exposing the material more completely than heretofore to the action of the air. Another feature relates to the manner in which cells are filled and are emptied at the end of the converting operation. Another feature relates to improvements in control of the supply of air to the fermentation cell whereby the supply of air may be shut off during the starting of the fermentation action, may then be supplied in moderate quantities to aid fermentation and finally may be drawn through the cell in generous quantities to improve the condition of the organic material.

Other objects and advantages will appear upon consideration of the accompanying description and of the drawings, in which Fig. l is a rearl elevation, partly in section, illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional rear elevation of a modified form of apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View, partly broken away to show underlying structure, of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of another modification;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a tray for use in the cell illustrated in Fig. 4; and Y Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section, similar in general to that shown in Fig. 4 but arranged for the `support of trays in` inclined position to facilitate drainage.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. l a fermentation cell having single walls I0, a rear wall I I, a central Wall section I2 at the front of the cell, and doors I3 for closing the openings between the side walls and said central wall section. Preferably said doors I3 are hinged at their outer edges to side walls I and at their inner edges may be provided with fastening devices, such as bolts I4, by which they may be se- New York, N. Y., assigner Sealcell Corporation,

a corporation of 1933, Serial No. 670,277

cured in New closed position. The floor I is inclined so as to drain readily into a drain or outlet At its topV the fermentation cell is provided with a roof I'I having a central charging opening into which fits the lower end of a chute I8 extending downwardly from a charging iioor IS. The upper end of the chute is surrounded by a channel adapted peripheral flange ZI to receive the lower edge of a of a cover 22. Preferably the interior of the cell is as free as possible from more or less accessible recesses in which organic material may collect and become offensive. This result and other advantages may conveniently be attained by building It is of importance the cell of concrete.

to provide for adequate circulaton of air o-ver and around the masses of organic matter to be converted into humus,` thus aiding aerobic the material. Accor tion these results may bacterial action as well as drying ding to the present inven be obtained in considerable measure by supporting the trays with their edges spaced substantially from the walls of the cell.

The converting action may also be facilitated by providing for improved the organic material ing to these ends, it

drainage of liquid from under treatment. In workhas been found convenient to use, instead of trays extending completely across the cell, two s of a series of cross members tudinal members 25.

As shown in Fig. downwardly from the side walls and ets of trays 23 each formed 24 secured to longi- 1, the trays 23 may slope the middle of the cell toward may conveniently be supported at their outer edges on inwardly extending lower flanges of angles 26 upright position and whose other flanges are in may serve not only to pro vide a strong support for the outer edges of the trays dumped on the trays 23 but may also act to prevent material from spilling over the outer edges thereof. The angles 26 are spaced from the side walls II) to facilitate circulation of air and may be supported in any suitable manner, as on the inner ends of bolts 21 secured in the side walls Il] and projecting inwardly therefrom.

It is also a purpose control of the trays bodiment of the inv manual handling of ample, in connection end each tray 23 may edge with eccentric of the invention to facilitate and, in this particular emention, to avoid any direct the trays except, for eX- with loading them. To this be provided near its inner straps 28 attached to suitable positioned longitudinal members and embracing eccentrics tatably supported by 29 mounted on shafts 30 rothe rear wall ll of the cell and by posts 3| at the front of the cell and at the the fermentation cell the sliding door 35 and edges of the front wall section I2. the damper 40 are closed, and the heating The shafts 3U pass through the posts 3| and medium is admitted to the piping 42. By rapidly corresponding socket wrench 30a. By turning ing for this temperature to be reached by heat any one of the shafts 30 the corresponding tray given 01T by the fermenting material, anaerobic may be pulled on the corresponding ange of an action will be encouraged and the fermentation angle 26, thus permitting a tray to swing downcycle will be shortened to a substantial degree.

10 wardly for dumping purposes, as indicated in After the fermentation cycle is thoroughly start- 10 dotted lines in the lower left hand part of Fig. 1. ed, the door 35 and damper 40 are opened to the In dumping the converted material, the lowest required extent to admit air to assist the action by pins or other suitable devices 32, as indicated Referring to Fig. 2, most of the parts are the at the upper right hand side of Fig. 1. Then same as in Fig. l and may be designated by the after the lower trays are loaded the trays immesame reference numerals. The trays 23 are, diately above are again placed in loading posihowever, reversed in position, the shafts 3U carry` 525 tion. It will be evident that the rotation of the ing the eccentrics 29 and the supporting posts 25 shafts 30 in the opposite directions should be 3|a being nearer the side walls I0 in Fig. 2 and limited. This may be done by means of stops the trays 23 sloping downwardly toward the 32a which the eccentric straps 28 engage on one middle of the cell where their inner edges rest side or the other as shown at the lower left hand on the side flanges of inverted Ts 26a supported 30 Side of Fig. l. The same result might also be obby the back wall of the cell and by an upright 30 tained in many other ways, for example, by use central post |2a against which the doors |3a are of two stops secured to a shaft 30 adjacent to a, held Vby bolts I4. In this form of apparatus the post 3| and adapted to cooperate with a stadoors |3a must be provided with holes (not tional-y stop corresponding to stops 32a. shown) through which the ends of the shafts 30 Liquiddraining to the sides of the cell is colcan be engaged by the socket wrench 30a. In 35 lected in troughs 33 suspended from bolts 21 at this form of cell there are troughs 33a suspended both sides of the cell and shiftable along said from the inverted Ts 26a. bolts from operating positions under the angles The form of apparatus shown in Fig. 4 has 2G to inoperative positions, as shown in dotted many parts corresponding to those of the cell im lines for the lowest left hand tray in Fig. 1, shown in Fig. 1 and which may be designated by 40 so as not to interfere with dumping. These the same reference numerals. As here shown,

and ows to the drain I6. on which rest cross bars 24a of a tray 23a, said 45 To provide for controlled circulation of air, bars 24a being secured at their ends to vertical 45 provision is made of one or more suitably screened plates 25A which engage the plates 26A at their 5o be held in adjusted position by means of a latch finger 31 cooperating with notches in a locking central post. The doors |312 engage stops 45 at quadrant 38. The cell is also provided at its the top and bottom and the doors are secured top with one or more ventilator pipes 39 containagainst the stops by means including a bolt 46 ing dampers 40 and having at their upper ends securing the two doors together. The trays 23a motor driven fans 4| for drawing air from the are preferably made in sections from front to 55 cell. back to facilitate the insertion and removal of The invention also contemplates the introducthe trays and materials thereon, v tion of artificial heat into the cell to encourage Fig 6 Shows an arrangement; very Similar to ing an inclined tray 23h to produce drainage to 60 0f piping 42 in Which S circulated a Suitable one side. Adjacent to the lower side of the tray, heating medium such as hot water, steam or hot there js provided a trough 33o suspended from air. This artificial heat would be of great value the bolts 21 in hastening fermentation of garbage and of It will be Seen that Various Changes can be made 1n construction and arrangement and vari- 65 process of fermentation may be effected to addeparting from the true scope and spirit of the vantage by raising the temperature at the ininvention terior of the cell rapidly to somewhere in the Having thus described my invention,I claim:-

to 150". The fermentation l. In apparatus for converting organic matter, 70

' cycle will be correspondingly shortened and the the combination of afermentation cell, means for quantity of waste material converted into humus admitting air at the lower part of the cell includ- Insofar as the heating and ventilation of the ing or to open it to desired extents, a conduit at 5 cell are concerned, at starting the operation of the top of the cell for discharge of gaseous prod.- 75

ucts of combustion, a damper in said conduit, means for drawing air through said cell and conduit, means for supporting the organic matter at different levels, and means including heating pipes extending into said cell for heating the same up quickly after charging the same with organic matter and thereby shortening the time required for fermentation.

2. In apparatus for converting organic matter, the combination of .a fermentation cell having provision for admission of air thereto and discharge therefrom of gaseous products of combustion, a series of openwork supporting devices at diiferent heights and having their edges spaced from the sides of the cell to permit the passage of air and gaseous products of fermentation, and means for heating the interior of the cell including heat pipes located beneath the spaces between the supporting devices and the sides of the cell and tending to produce a draft upwardly therethrough.

3. In apparatus for converting organic matter, the combination of a fermentation cell having provision for admission of air thereto and discharge therefrom of gaseous products of combustion and a plurality of supporting devices including trays for organic matter at different levels, each including a support on which one edge of said tray rests, and means toward the opposite edge of said tray for supporting the tray and for drawing it off the support at the other edge to effect dumping of material from the tray.

4. In apparatus for converting organic matter, the combination of a fermentation cell, and ver'- tically separated supporting devices each including two trays normally extending from the middle of the cell toward opposite sides thereof, fixed supports on which the outer edges rest, a shaft near the inner edge of each tray, eccentrics on said shaft, and eccentric holders embracing the eccentrics and secured to the trays, whereby rotation of the shafts will draw the outer edges of the trays off the supports and cause dumping.

5. In apparatus for converting organic matter, the combination of a fermentation cell, vertically separated supporting devices each including two trays inclined .downwardly from the middle of the cell toward the sides, xed supports for the outer edges of said trays, said fixed supports being spaced from the sides of the cell, and drainage troughs beneath said supports to receive and discharge liquid drained fro-m material on the trays.

6. In apparatus for converting organic matter, the combination of a fermentation cell, vertically separated supporting devices each including two trays inclined .downwardly from the middle of the cell toward the sides, xed supports for the outer edges of said trays, said fixed supports being spaced from the sides of the cell, means for holding material on the trays from spilling over the outer sides of the fixed supports, and means for carrying off liquid draining along said trays to said fixed supports.

7. In apparatus for converting organic material, the combination of a fermentation cell, vertically separated supporting devices each including two trays spaced from the sides of the cell and normally sloping downwardly towards the middle of the cell to cause liquid in the organic material to drain in that direction, a common support for the inner edges of the trays, and a drain trough suspended beneath said common support.

S. In apparatus for converting organic matter, the combination of a fermentation cell, vertically separated supporting devices each including two trays spaced from the sides of the cell and normally sloping downwardly toward the middle of the cell, a common support for the inner edges of the trays, a shaft beneath the outer portion of each tray, and a connection between the shaft and the tray whereby turning of the shaft may be utilized to draw the inner edge of the tray off its support.

9. In apparatus for converting organic matter, the combination of a fermentation cell and vertically separated supporting devices each including a tray having vertical plates at its edges and cross oars joining said plates, and vertical tray supporting members spaced from the opposite sides of the cell to provide for the passage of air and fermentation gases and in position to be engaged by the cross bars of said tray when the plates at the tray edges are passed outside of the tray supporting members, the dimensions of the tray `being less than the interior dimensions of the cell to provide for such passage of air and gases.

l0. In apparatus for converting organic matter, the combination of a fermentation cell, vertically separated supporting devices each including supporting members arranged at different heights at opposite sides of the cell and a tray supported .in inclined position on said supporting members and consisting of parallel bars in the same plane and plates joining the ends of said bars and arranged so that they will be vertical when the tray is in its inclined position.

1l. In apparatus for converting organic matter, the combination of a fermentation cell, means for admitting air at the lower part of the cell including an opening and a closure therefor adjustable to close the opening or to open it to desired extents, an outlet at the top of said cell for discharge of gaseous products of fermentation, damping means for said outlet, means for drawing air through said cell and outlet, means for supporting the organic material at vdifferent levels, and means for heating the interior of the cell up to a desired temperature quickly after charging the same, thereby shortening the time required for fermentation.

JULES R. BREUCHAUD. 

